After loading up talent in the offseason, the Philadelphia Union has a welcomed problem. That is, they can only start 11 players. The Union, now a team overloaded with depth, has to figure out who are the odd players out.
MLS play will be where the biggest question mark lies. Jim Curtin will likely fiddle with the lineup quite a bit to start the season, but Curtin is not a coach who likes to make any changes. Curtin has also not been eager to use all 5 allotted Substitutions in a game. Which makes the question of “Who’s going to get all the playing time?” even more interesting.
The Union returns to U.S Open Cup play in 2022. That lineup will likely be a group of guys who usually make the bench in MLS, mixed in with some starters. Expect a lot of homegrowns.
For MLS, it is anyone’s guess right now.
Let’s Start With The Obvious
Andre Blake will be the unchallenged #1 Goalkeeper. He had a case for GK of the year last year, he will likely have his name in there again.
The backline is where a few eyebrows can start to be raised.
Jack Elliott and Jacob Glesnes are the 2 CBs, with Stuart Findlay and maybe even Brandan Craig ready to give one of them a break every now and then.
Left-back and Right-back are where the questions trickle in. Mbaizo and Wagner will likely be the starters.
In the case of Mbaizo, don’t be surprised to see Nathan Harriel or Anton Sorenson take some minutes away from him. Harriel played well when called upon last year, and Sorenson is ready to dip his foot into MLS play.
For Wagner, he is top of the league in his position. Wagner will for sure be sold in the summer transfer window. So the question is, who do the Union replace him with. Right now the likely candidate is Matt Real. Real fell out of the Union roster last season, but the spot is there for him to take. The Union has a few months to figure it out before Wagner is off to Europe.
The Midfield
The Union has a lot of midfielders. So let’s start with who will likely be the starting bunch.
The Union will go back to the 4-4-2 diamond. Jose Martinez will stay in his role of the #6. Martinez is prone to suspensions, and he plays tough. So he’s due to miss a few more games than the average player. Leon Flach will be his backup, with Jesus Bueno also ready to step in.
Jamiro Monteiro is a tricky situation. Miro is reportedly still having issues with his family getting visas. He could be in the same situation as Kai Wagner, where he will be sold in the summer. However, Until that time comes, the Union pay him the big money as a Designated Player, he will start regularly. Whether at the top of the diamond as the 10 or to the side.
Daniel Gazdag will fill whichever space Miro isn’t in. Whether the coaches trust Gazdag more in the 10 spot or not, I think Gazdag will likely be a regular starter.
Finally, Captain Ale Bedoya will remain in his usual spot in the midfield. He is still able to bring the energy and lead the team. However, it is time he takes a step back.
Bedoya should only be playing 60-70 minutes a game. We all saw how gassed he was last year at the end of games. With the Union overloaded with great talent in the midfield, it is the perfect opportunity to scale back his minutes and keep him fresh longer.
The Odd Guys Out
The Union’s bench in the midfield is stacked. the Union will likely be leaving Jack McGlynn, Paxten Aaronson, Leon Flach, Quinn Sullivan, and Jesus Bueno on the bench. Interchange them with any of the guys I predicted will be starting and you don’t miss much if anything.
Leon Flach, Jack McGlynn, and Paxten Aaronson will likely be the top 3 substitutes. If there was ever a season for Jim Curtin to start using all 5 subs routinely, it is this one.
Forwards
The biggest overhaul to the team came at the forward position. Of course, Kacper Pryzyblko is gone. This leaves Sergio Santos, Corey Burke, Julian Carranza, and Mikael Uhre as the striker group. With maybe even one more on the way.
Uhre is the big money signee. He’s still working through visa issues, then he has to get acclimated to the team. Once he’s ready, he’ll be in the Union lineup for 90 minutes most of the time. We don’t know how long that will take, however.
Until Uhre is ready, we will likely see Carranza starting alongside either Santos or Burke. Santos is lethal off the bench with his pace so it will likely be Burke if he’s healthy.
However, the Union’s main goal will be to ensure at some point early in the season, Carranza and Uhre become the starting striker pairing. Carranza has shown great potential early, and Uhre has all the hype with him.
Santos and Burke will likely fight for the first strikers off the bench. No matter what, the Union is looking spectacular at the forward position for the first time in a long time.
This is a Great Problem to Have
Every coach dreams of having too much talent to pick from. Jim Curtin will try different lineups throughout the season. Younger guys will get more of an opportunity in the U.S Open Cup.
No matter what, the Union is coming back with a vengeance after how last season ended.
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